FUMA Invitational Kicks Off Friday

Dave Telep

12/07/2001

The annual Fork Union Invitational tips off tonight at 6:30 and features four very good prep schools. The first game matches Bridgton Academy and Hargrave and the nightcap features Fork Union against New Hampton.

One Stoplight Town Hosts Bevy Of Talent

For two evenings in December, the tiny town of Fork Union, Va., plays host to a slew of future collegians. The Fork Union Invitational, annually one of the best December events, showcases a number of talented teams and a few great players to boot.

In the opener, Bridgton Academy squares off against Hargrave Military. Bridgton replaces Winchendon, which traditionally plays in the tournament. Winchendon head coach Michael Byrnes is Fork Union alum so we wonder why he's not in attendance this year. BUT, Bridgton is a worthy replacement.

They feature Missouri signee Giedrius Rinkevicious and we get our first look at this import. Bridgton also has junior talent Ousmane Konate, David Teague, Jonathan Bluitt and Amadou Ba. They'll get a major test from Mario Boggan, Cam Bennerman, Stanley Asumnu and Trent Strickland.

Fork Union plays in the nightcap. Now, Fletcher Arrit, like any wise tournament host, tries to schedule the most winnable game for his team so the hundreds of cadets who show up en masse have something to cheer about. Well, that should be bulletin board material for New Hampton and Rashad McCants who's always looking for a way to get motivated.

Obviously, FUMA feels its best chance to advance comes against New Hampton so this one should be interesting.